Places to Play builds on the commitment of the Everyone Can Play program expanding from water play and nature-based play spaces, to support the delivery of adventurous spaces such as skate parks, pump tracks, skills parks and mountain bike trails. Adventurous spaces create better places for people of all ages and abilities to come together and enjoy play outdoors.
Places to Play is part of the Open Spaces Program, with a $16.7 million funding commitment to provide more public open spaces for adventure and play.
Have your say: Adventurous Spaces best practice design guide
The Adventurous Spaces guide is a practical tool to help anyone involved in creating skateparks, tracks and trails to meet the growing demand for places to skate, scoot and ride BMX and mountain bikes.
The guide has been developed by the NSW Government in collaboration with key stakeholders and industry experts. It provides guidance on how to plan, design, deliver and manage quality adventurous open spaces for communities throughout NSW.
We are seeking feedback on the draft guide until 28 March 2024. To have your say and support communities to embrace adventure, provide your comments by emailing [email protected]
Adventurous Spaces Insights report
The Adventurous Spaces Insights report has informed the guide through a literature review, public survey and social case studies to better understand the benefits, barriers and gaps in participation or the provision of new adventure play facilities.
Successful projects in 2022/23
A total of $4,987,223 has been awarded across 13 projects in the 2022/23 grant program.
| Council | Project details |
|---|---|
| Bourke Shire Council | Central Park Bourke Adventure Park - $184,433 |
| Carrathool Shire Council | Construction of the Goolgowi Pump Track - $170,910 |
| Edward River Council | Edward River Skate Park - $500,000 |
| Hornsby Shire Council | Brickpit Park Playground Upgrade - $500,000 |
| Kempsey Shire Council | Kalateenee Forest Mountain Bike Enduro Trail Upgrade - $301,600 |
| Lake Macquarie City Council | Rathmines Park Pump Track - $500,000 |
| Maitland City Council | Roy Jordan Oval Skate Park & Playspace - $500,000 |
| Orange City Council | Orange Adventure Playground (Stage 2) - $485,280 |
| Parkes Shire Council | Telling the story of water in Parkes Shire through play - $500,000 |
| Sydney Olympic Park Authority | Haslams Pump Track project - $500,000 |
| Temora Shire Council | Bradley Park Nature based Adventure and Water Playspace - $345,000 |
| Upper Hunter Shire Council | Scone Mountain National Park mountain bike and walking trails - $200,000 |
| Wollongong City Council | Wollongong City Centre Skate Park - $300,000 |
Pilot project – Bingara Long Run Skate Park
Gwydir Shire Council
The NSW Government has committed $450,000 to an innovative skate park in Cunningham Park, Gwydir Shire. The facility accommodates users of all ages and includes a perimeter pump track, an inner skate area and supporting amenities.
The skate park and pump track was designed with young people in the region and aims to provide more recreational activities for local residents and visitors.
This project is due to start construction in 2023.
Pilot project – Gipps Street Recreation Precinct
Penrith City Council
The NSW has invested $500,000 towards the 32-hectare Gipps Street Recreation Precinct which will deliver essential district-level sports and recreation infrastructure for the people of Western Sydney.
The Gipps Street Recreation Precinct originally functioned as council’s main waste facility from the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s. Following extensive remediation, it is set to become a landmark destination for adventure and play in Western Sydney.
This facility is a first of its kind in the Penrith local government area. The precinct will include an inclusive floodlit adventure skate park, BMX pump track, multi-sport courts, parkour and youth-based adventure infrastructure as well as inclusive water playspaces, outdoor fitness gym, walking trails and passive recreation areas.
This project has started construction.
Successful 2021-22 grant projects
There were 24 projects across 11 councils that were successful in the 2021/22 grant program with a total value of $8.5 million.
| Council | Project details |
|---|---|
| Bayside Council | Sir Joseph Banks Park Nature Playspace – $250,000 |
| Blacktown City Council | Glenwood Skate Space – $375,000 |
| Campbelltown City Council | Marsden Park Playspace upgrade – $200,000 |
| Canterbury-Bankstown Council | Bringing BMX to CBCity – $500,000 |
| City of Canada Bay | Brett Park Adventure Playspace – Nature Play and Water Play – $250,000 |
| City of Parramatta Council | Central City Parkway – $500,000 |
| Cumberland City Council | Civic Park Nature Play Area – $250,000 |
| Goulburn Mulwaree Council | Riverside Park Pump Track Project – $455,200 |
| Griffith City Council | Griffith Mountain Bike – $500,000 |
| Hawkesbury City Council | Woodbury Reserve Adventure Facilities – $455,000 |
| Hay Shire Council | Hay Teenage Adventure Zone – $477,525 |
| Hornsby Shire Council | Children’s Forest Fagan Park, Galston – $250,000 |
| Inner West Council | Lilyfield Skate Plaza – $500,000 |
| Kempsey Shire Council | Macleay Valley Recreation Adventure Park Pump Track – $459,987 |
| Lake Macquarie City Council | Murrays Beach Park – $100,000 |
| Muswellbrook Shire Council | Adventure Playground at Wollombi Park – $480,000 |
| Port Macquarie-Hastings Council | Kew Nature Playground – $150,000 |
| Shellharbour City Council | Aboriginal Interpretive Playspace Stage 2 – $80,000 |
| Upper Lachlan Shire Council | Wattle Glen Adventure Park – $500,000 |
| Wingecarribee Shire Council | Wingello Adventure Play – $440,000 |
| Wollondilly Shire Council | Tahmoor District Sporting complex – BMX Park Adventure Play upgrade – $100,000 |
| Woollahra Municipal Council | Lyne Park Playground Renewal – $250,000 |
Grant guidelines and supporting information
Funding is available to all councils in NSW and eligible NSW state government agencies.
Eligible state government agencies include those who own and manage the publicly accessible land on which the projects will be delivered. The delivered facilities must be freely and publicly accessible.
The funding will support the creation of innovative and inclusive play and adventure spaces for people of all ages and abilities. This can include:
- new and better public spaces that facilitate adventure sports and recreation (such as mountain biking, parkour, scooter and skate places and pump tracks)
- nature and water play for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, and promotion of recreation and connection with nature for families and children following lockdown
- provision of outdoor recreation spaces for young people in areas where these facilities are in high demand but where there is an undersupply.
The funding will support the creation of innovative and inclusive play and adventure spaces for people of all ages and abilities. This can include:
- new and better public spaces that facilitate adventure sports and recreation (such as mountain biking, parkour, scooter and skate places and pump tracks)
- nature and water play for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, and promotion of recreation and connection with nature for families and children following lockdown
- provision of outdoor recreation spaces for young people in areas where these facilities are in high demand but where there is an undersupply.
Places to Play builds on the success of the Everyone Can Play program by applying the principles to adventure play, water and nature play. Places to Play is designed to support the creation of places for play and adventure that are inclusive to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Places to Play takes the principles of Can I Get There, Can I Play, Can I Stay and applies it to adventurous activities, water and nature playspaces.
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